What is kinship care?
Kinship care means that a relative or family friend looks after a child full-time or most of the time, usually because the child's parents are unable to care for them. There are many types of kinship care.
Informal kinship carer
This means that there is no formal arrangement, but a relative or close friend has agreed to take care of the child.
Special guardianship orders (SGO) and child arrangements orders (CAO)
A special guardianship order (SGO) or a child arrangements order (CAO) is a legal order given by a family court, setting out who is going to be responsible for a child's care.
Private fostering
Private foster care is when a parent arranges for their child or children to be looked after by someone who is not a close relative for 28 days or more, if the child is under 16 (or 18 if the child has a disability).
Kinship foster carer
Kinship foster care, also known as family and friends foster care, is a formal arrangement where a family member or friend is assessed and becomes a child's approved foster carer.
Testamentary guardian
A testamentary guardian is someone who has been appointed as a carer, formally and in writing, by a parent or special guardian.
How to get support as a kinship carer
At BCP Council, we offer specialist and consistent support to Kinship Carers. Please get in touch with the relevant team, to find out about the support available to you:
Case Studies
Many people are deterred from fostering as they think that only very particular kinds of people can foster but this simply isn’t true. What we are looking for in BCP from our foster carers is somebody who has the right qualities to give children and young people the secure, caring environment they need.
Who needs fostering?
Just like our foster carers, our children are all ages and from all backgrounds. Around two-fifths of children in care are aged 11 to 15 years. Finding foster carers for teenagers is a key priority for us at BCP Council.
Be a part of our fostering community
Our carers never feel unsupported and have identified that one of the most important aspects to them is a sense of a ‘fostering community’ with a team of experienced professionals and a foster care buddy scheme. If you would like to know more – please call us on 01202 123 345 or fill in our online form.